The Power of Suggestion
by ModernScribe
Summary: The Green Arrow tries out Cupid's bow for size. Oliver makes it his mission to bring Lois and Clark together.
1. The Plan

**Disclaimer: If I owned the characters, I wouldn't need this.**

**Spoilers: Since this is mostly AU, there aren't many. The ones there are are subtle, so I don't really think you have to worry about not understanding anything. Mostly any spoilers are in the author's note below, so just ignore that if you must.**

**A/N: Just a few notes before you begin. This is set sometime post season eight with a few changes. First off, Jimmy knows Clark's secret and he and Chloe are just boyfriend and girlfriend. He's obviously not dead. Secondly, Lois and Clark are still partners, but they no longer work in the basement. Lastly, this is based in part off of a famous Shakespearean play. If you can name which one, then kudos to you. **

**This story is complete and has seven chapters including the epilogue. I will try to post one chapter a week, but I may be nice and post more often. Of course I could also be mean and post less often. It really depends on the kind of reaction I get. Hint, hint, hint. I'd also like to thank my sister and beta, ComicNerd, because if I didn't, I'd definitely be in trouble. Not that she ever thanks me for all the editing I do for her, but that may be because she doesn't know I do it. She really should consider changing her password.**

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**The Power of Suggestion**

_Part 1: The Plan_

Oliver looked appraisingly across the loft. The entire Justice League was there, as well as Chloe, Jimmy, and Lois. Everyone had dates, with the exception of Clark and Lois.

Oliver took a moment to appreciate the irony. Here were two attractive, young, ambitious reporters and neither one of them could get a date. Really, he had to do something about this. It was just wrong.

They really were just right for each other. Lois's strong personality perfectly balanced Clark's easy-going one. If only they would realize this. They'd been "friends" for years and the chemistry between them was undeniable to anybody but themselves.

Maybe it was time for the Green Arrow to try out Cupid's bow for a while.

But first: recon.

Deciding Clark would be an easier first target, he set off across the landing to find the elusive Mr. Kent.

He found him on the balcony looking down at the passing cars with an expression of deep contemplation etched on his chiseled face.

"Don't jump until you've got your wings, there, Tweedy bird," Oliver deadpanned.

"I don't need wings to fly," Clark responded dryly.

"No, just a jet-pack. Give it up. We all know you'd fall faster than Impulse does for a pair of hot legs."

The two vigilantes stared into each other's eyes, each man challenging the other not to laugh.

Clark was the first one to crack, flashing one of his patented toothy smiles in Oliver's direction. The pair shared a round of good-natured chuckles at the farm boy's expense.

"So what do you need, Ollie? I know you didn't just come out here to admire the view," Clark asked seriously after a brief silence.

"No really, the weather is fine tonight," Oliver said nonchalantly.

Clark just grunted and stared expressionlessly at Oliver, waiting for him to continue.

"Speaking of fine, have you seen Lois this evening? That dress…" He whistled to emphasize his point. "Don't tell me you haven't noticed. I saw that look you gave her when she arrived."

"What look? Lois and I are just friends," Clark said.

"That's like saying my aim's only so-so. You and I both know there are deeper feelings between you two than just friendship. You look at her like Jimmy does Chloe."

"Your aim is way off this time, Oliver. There is nothing between us. Do you understand?" Clark said. "Now why don't you just go and chat up Dinah over there? She looks like she would enjoy your company." Clark gestured in the direction of the bar.

"Nah, I think I'll stay out here with you. You're being such a pleasant jerk right now," Oliver said, smiling widely.

"Leave, Oliver. Now."

Oliver recognized the glare Clark was giving him. On any other person, he would crack a joke about his head bursting on fire from that kind of focused beam, but when faced with a man that made that statement more reality than humor, it was best to just leave quietly.

Without another word to Clark, Oliver returned to the party, his eyes searching for Lois.

He found her circling the buffet table and eyeing the door.

"Not so fast, pretty lady. There are handsome men that have been waiting all night to get a dance with you," Oliver called to her.

"Really," Lois responded. "Where are they hiding?"

"Ouch! You wound me, fair princess," Oliver said dramatically. Then, straightening up, he continued seriously, "I think I saw one head out to the balcony a little while ago. Why don't you take a look?"

"Let me guess: tall, dark hair, big muscles, sexy?" Lois recited warily. "Oh, did I forget smells like farm animals and has a soft spot for flannel? Not interested."

"So you admit he's sexy?" Oliver pointed out.

"No, my cousin tells me he is, but considering she thinks the same about Jimmy, I don't know how much I can trust her," Lois recovered without a pause.

"I don't think she's wrong," Oliver said coolly, looking in the direction of the silhouette on the balcony.

"Oh, coming out are we? Chloe owes me fifty bucks."

Oliver turned his head sharply back to face Lois. "I was merely stating a fact about Clark's physical anatomy," Oliver said defensively.

"Yeah, and I'm in love with Clark."

"I knew you'd admit it one day."

"Leave, Oliver. Now."

With a cheeky smile, Oliver turned and left. He had some planning to do after all.

A couple hours later, the room had thinned dramatically. The only people left now were Victor, AC, Jimmy, Chloe, Oliver, and Dinah. Bart had long ago run off to find more food and possibly chat up the cute vender across the street.

The moment Clark and Lois had succeeded in escaping, Oliver summoned all the remaining guests. It was time to inform them of "The Plan."

"We have a problem," Oliver began.

"The polar ice caps are melting," AC said.

"No--"

"The global Internet has crashed," Victor interrupted.

"No--"

"Braniac's back." This time it was Chloe.

"No! If you all would just shut up, I'll tell you what our problem is!" Oliver cried exasperated. His crew looked at him expectantly and without a hint of remorse. Glancing around to make sure they were all paying attention, Oliver continued. "Lois and Clark aren't together."

"What does this have to do with us?" Dinah asked. "For that matter, why is that even a problem?"

"Are you crazy? Those two belong together!" Chloe cried. "Like Lewis and Clark."

"I'm confused," AC said, his brow furrowed. "Are we talking about Lois or Lewis and what's Clark got to do with either?"

Victor rolled his eyes. "What else would you expect from a guy who thinks mollusks are great conversationalists?"

"Chatted up any hot mother boards recently?" AC shot back.

"Shut it, Fish Stick."

The rest of the Justice League silently voted to continue without their bickering comrades.

"So, do you have a plan, Oliver?" Jimmy asked. "Or are we just going to throw them at each other and see what happens?"

"I'm thinking something a little more subtle would be best," their ringleader responded with a smile.

"And that would be?" Jimmy asked warily. He'd seen that kind of smile before and it generally led to a dangerous situation for both his girlfriend and her buddies. The good thing about not being in the League was you were spared most of the danger usually faced by the costumed vigilantes.

"Well…" Oliver trailed off conspiratorially. "It involves eavesdropping, duct tape, and a torture chamber."

"Seriously?" Chloe looked doubtful. "That's your idea of subtle? I'd hate to see obvious."

"Fine, we'll drop the duct tape."

* * *

**Coming up next: Lois and Clark overhear two very interesting conversations. Stay tuned for the next installment of "The Power of Suggestion": "Eavesdropping". **


	2. Eavesdropping

**The Power of Suggestion**

_Part 2: Eavesdropping_

Clark was in the barn tinkering with the tractor again. It seemed that that thing was always out of commission. He didn't have long; Oliver, Victor, AC, and Jimmy were coming over for a guys-only lunch in just a few minutes.

He looked up when he heard the distant sound of Oliver's car driving down the long driveway. He could hear a muffled conversation going on in inside, and upon hearing his name, decided to listen in. Normally he wouldn't, but if they were going to talk about him, he wanted to know what they were saying.

"Are you sure Chloe said Lois was in love with Clark, Jimmy?" he heard Oliver ask.

Clark banged his head on the tractor, leaving a large dent in the side. As if!

"Yeah I'm sure. We were talking about our feelings for each other—"

"Skip it, lover boy," Victor interrupted.

"Be quite, Tin Man. We're not all made of metal," AC said to Victor.

"Drop it you two," Oliver broke in. "You were saying?"

"Well, we were talking and I mentioned that it was sad that Lois and Clark couldn't be as happy as we are," Jimmy continued. "She said that maybe they could be if Clark would just get over his hero complex thingy and tell her the truth. Apparently Lois has been in love with Clark for ages."

"Hero complex!" Clark cried to the mutilated tractor.

"You mean Clark should tell her his secret or admit that he loves her?" Victor asked.

"Both."

"You mean that Clark hasn't told Lois he's a little green man yet? Why not? It's not like she doesn't know about the rest of us," AC said, shocked. "I told her about my abilities on the second date for carp's sake!"

"Yeah, well that's you, AC," Clark mumbled, banging the recent dent out of the tractor with his fist. "Some of us aren't quite so cavalier about our darkest secrets."

"You know Clark. He's afraid that anyone he tells will be doomed for life," Oliver said resignedly. "It's not like she isn't always in danger anyway, what with her penchant for finding it. She's gotten herself out of more sticky situations than Impulse and that's saying something."

"I know that!" Clark said huffily. "It's just that…" He trailed off, not sure what else to say or why he was even bothering to defend himself. The tractor lay forgotten.

"So why doesn't he trust her?" Victor asked.

"I do trust her! I trust her with my life everyday," Clark said.

"Chloe said it's not so much an issue of trust as it is an issue of opening up," Jimmy explained wisely. "She says that Clark is afraid that once he tells Lois who he really is, he won't have any reason to hide his feelings anymore and that scares him. He doesn't even want to admit that he feels anything for her."

This comment had Clark stumped. Was it true? Was he really in denial?

"What a load of stinking sardines!" AC cried. "It's obvious to anyone with eyes that she loves him and he loves her! He runs into burning buildings without a second thought, what does he have to be scared of now?"

"Just because you're indestructible doesn't mean you can't be hurt. Clark's had his share of heartache in the past, if you recall," Oliver said soothingly.

"For once I agree with the fish. One bad experience is not worth wasting a lifetime, believe me," Victor put in.

"Do you think we should tell him?" Jimmy asked.

"No," Oliver responded. "You know he would just shrug it off. He's too proud for his own good. The best we can hope for is for him to come to his senses before they both die of old age."

"Hey, I resent that," Clark said, preoccupied.

"What's the likelihood of that happening?" AC asked to no one in particular.

"About 99.7 million to 0.001," responded Victor.

"I wasn't asking for the literal amount you walking flash drive. That was rhetorical!" AC cried.

"Excuse me if my brain power is higher than you can comprehend, dolphin breath."

"Oh that's original. What are you, three? You know dolphins are actually quite intelligent creatures."

"If you two don't stop it, I swear I will hurt you," Oliver said sternly. "We're almost at the farm. Don't you dare mention a word of this conversation to the boy scout, do you understand?"

The men mumbled their ascent as the car pulled up to the house.

Clark stood in the barn, lost in his thoughts. As strange as it was to think Lois was in love with him, upon deeper reflection, he had to admit he was more than a little attracted to her too. She was so witty and strong and beautiful. The way her impish smile made even grown men wary and her laugh lit up a room… Her blue eyes always made him feel like she knew even his darkest and most guarded secret. He had never met anyone like her and he knew he never would. She was entirely unique.

And he was in love with her.

He, Clark Kent, the last son of Krypton, the farm boy turned rookie-reporter, was in love with Lois Lane, his partner at _The Daily Planet_, the most special woman in all the known and unknown galaxies.

So engrossed in this sudden realization was he that he failed to hear what Jimmy and Oliver said as they climbed out of the limousine and peered into the barn.

"Do you think he heard us?" Jimmy asked, leaning into Oliver's ear.

"Definitely," Oliver responded, a wide smile plastered on his face.

--

Lois made her way laboriously up the curvy stairs in the Talon to her apartment, precariously balancing three full cups of coffee and three turkey sandwiches. If she fell and broke her neck, she was going to blame her cousin and Dinah, even if they were her lunch guests. They were the ones that had sent her on this dangerous mission in the first place after all.

Just before she was about to knock her head against the door and call for someone to open it, she heard a sentence that made her stop mid whack. She pressed her ear up to the door and strained to make out what the couple was saying.

--

"Is she coming?" Dinah asked Chloe who had her eye pressed up against the peephole.

"She's coming up the stairs now. If she's not careful, she's going to pour that coffee down her pants," Chloe responded.

"Right, let's start," Dinah said.

"Speaking of love interest, Clark just admitted to me that he loves Lois!" Chloe said loudly facing the door. She and Dinah exchanged smiles when they heard the hard thump from the other side signaling that Lois had heard.

"It's about time! He's been making puppy eyes at her for as long as I can remember." Dinah repressed a snicker as she continued. "I'm just surprised it's taken this long to get over his denial and accept the inevitable."

"And what's that?" Chloe asked, smiling brightly.

"You know, that he and Lois are made for each other."

They both struggled to repress their laughter at the gasp and profuse denial from Lois.

Chloe took a deep breath before responding. "Yeah they really are. She may deny it, but one look at the two of them and it's obvious. She may pretend to be as hard as nails, but believe me when I say she is more like a marshmallow on the inside. She should get an Academy Award for her acting skills."

"Well Clark's no poor actor himself. He'd have to be what with his secret and all," Dinah said more seriously.

"Which secret? That he loves her or the other one?" Chloe's smile had faded. This was the most delicate part of the scheme and it had to be done with extreme caution and tact.

"The other one," Dinah responded. Both strained to hear what Lois was doing on the other side of the door. They could just imagine her pressed up against it, her eyes probably wide with interest. "I'm surprised he hasn't told her yet."

"You know Clark. He thinks anyone who knows his secret is doomed. He only told me because I caught him in the act and if you weren't a member of the League, he never would have told you. He's just too protective for his own good." Chloe eyed the door warily.

"But Lois can handle herself just fine. She doesn't need to be protected."

The two almost laughed at the enthusiastic, if somewhat muffled, "Yeah!" from behind the door.

"Clark knows that. His 'for-their-own-good' motto is really just an excuse to protect himself. He's afraid that if he opens himself up to her entirely, she will hurt him. It was bad enough with Lana, he doesn't want to go through it again with Lois," Chloe said wisely.

"But surly Lois would never do that."

"Lois may not intend to, but you know how she is. She can be so judgmental. You remember what happened when she found out that Oliver was the Green Arrow. Clark doesn't want the same thing to happen to him." Chloe's eyes were fairly burning a hole in the door. If she knew her cousin, she was probably standing there with a bemused and hurt expression on her face. But this had to be done; it was for her own good.

"But maybe this time would be different. Her feelings for Oliver were never as deep as the ones she has for Clark, right?" Dinah asked, her eyes also glued to the door. "It's obvious from the way she looks at him."

"You know this and I know this, but Lois doesn't. I don't think Lois realizes how much Clark means to her. I'm afraid that when Clark does finally tell her, she'll react instinctively and back off before she gets a chance to fully process her feelings. If she does, then they will both be unhappy and there may be no bouncing back for Clark. I know Clark loves her more than he ever loved Lana."

"Can we say anything to hint to her about this?" Dinah implored.

"No, absolutely not," Chloe responded emphatically. "Lois would just blow us off. This is something she will just have to learn on her own. She can never know anything about what we've just discussed, understand? If we hint too much about his secret, she might ask him about it and you know he will never tell her if she pushes him."

Dinah started to nod, but stopped herself and said, "Yes" for Lois' benefit. They hadn't heard anything from her for the last few minutes and just hopped she was still listening.

"Right, let's get back to setting the table. Lois should be here any minute. How long could it possibly take to get a few sandwiches anyway?" Chloe said, motioning for Dinah to come away from the door.

--

Lois was in shock. Clark loved her! And she…well she didn't find him wholly unattractive although his penchant for plaid was a bit much. But surprisingly she wasn't as concerned about his feelings for her as she was his so-called secret.

Her natural curiosity was in overdrive. How could the mild-mannered farm boy turned reporter have any secrets? Although come to think of it, it might explain a few things like how come he was so chummy with all the members of the Justice League and his strange habit of always showing up in a crisis.

Maybe he was a meteor freak. That was possible wasn't it? He had grown up in the meteor freak capitol of the world after all.

Would him being a meteor freak alter the way she felt about him? He was still the same Clark she'd always known, right? Meteor power or not, he was still the man she fell in love with.

It took her a moment to realize what she'd just thought. Had she really just thought she was in love with Smallville? It took her another moment to realize that this was wholly and undeniably true.

She, Lois Lane, was in love with him, Clark Kent. And there was nothing that would ever change that.

As for his secret, well she would just have to curb her curiosity until he felt he was ready to open up to her. She could do that, couldn't she?

Squaring her shoulders, she pounded her head on the door and called for somebody to open it.

She passed out the coffee and sandwiches and sat down to eat, acting like what she'd overheard had had no effect on her whatsoever and the stone cold coffee was still hot. Like Chloe had said, she was a brilliant actress.

* * *

**Coming up next: Fish jokes abound and Lois and Clark spend some quality time in a…wouldn't you like to know? You'll find out next time in part three of "The Power of Suggestion": "Torture Chamber".**


	3. Torture Chamber

**The Power of Suggestion**

_Part 3: Torture Chamber_

"So, are we ready to move on to the next stage?" Oliver asked the room.

They were all at the League headquarters. It had been a week since their lunch dates with Lois and Clark, and Oliver had called this meeting to discuss the results.

"Well, Lois and Clark haven't said anything not work related all week. I've been watching," Jimmy said unabashed.

"And every time I try to talk to either of them about the other one, they blow me off. It's really getting frustrating," Chloe added.

"I expected some denial. We all knew Lois and Clark wouldn't go easy, that's why we have the plan in the first place," Oliver placated.

"Yeah but this is bordering ridiculous!" Dinah cried.

"At least we know they both heard our conversations, right?" Oliver asked.

"Well, from the way they both acted during lunch, I'd say yes," Chloe said.

"Oh yeah, they fell for it hook, line, and sinker, right Flipper?" Victor flashed an impish smile at AC.

"Stop it with the fish jokes, Inspector Gadget and how many times have I told you that fishing is not a nice pastime?" AC responded.

"I wasn't talking about fish, I was talking about Lois and Clark. You're paranoid, Squirt," Victor said innocently.

AC just glared, but catching Oliver's warning look, decided not to respond.

"It's time to implement stage two: torture chamber." Oliver rubbed his hands together. "Jimmy, there's still a freezer below the Daily Planet, correct?'

"Y--yeah," Jimmy answered, puzzled. "It's where we keep all of the older, unexposed film."

"Excellent. We can use that then. Is there any chance we can get Clark and Lois inside?"

Jimmy paused to consider. "Possibly. With the right incentive, it's definitely an option. Nobody goes down there that often."

"But if we lock them in there together, someone's bound to go belly up," Dinah said.

AC flashed her a look, but remembering what Victor had said about being paranoid, decided to let it slide.

"We'll just leave them in there long enough for them to work out their problems," Oliver said soothingly.

"If we wait that long, they'll be frozen harder than a couple of fish fillets," Chloe said.

AC clenched his fists. He wasn't being paranoid; he just knew it.

Catching AC's eye, Oliver quickly said, "Calm down, they're just baiting you!"

AC went purple. "If you guys don't stop with the fish cracks, I will not be responsible for my actions. That applies to you too, Robin Hood!"

"Look who woke up on the wrong side of the tank this morning!" Victor said teasingly. He just couldn't resist one last jive.

It took all the remaining members of the Justice League to keep AC from pouncing on the laughing half-robot.

Once they'd subdued the more aquatically inclined member of their team somewhat, Oliver continued.

"Victor, Jimmy, how long will it take to make the freezer Clark-proof?"

"What do you mean?" Victor asked, his laughter having subsided. "It's kind of hard to make something that a six foot, impervious Kryptonian can't break through."

"Can't you rig something up that will at least hold him for a little while? He won't want to use his abilities too much in case Lois catches him. How about something with a lot of lead? That'll take him a bit longer to get out of," Oliver suggested.

"But with luck he will tell Lois about his abilities and he won't need to think of a more subtle solution," Chloe pointed out.

"True, but once he tells her, they can leave. This is just a way to get them talking," Oliver responded. "So, is it possible?"

Victor looked at Jimmy. "Yes," he said.

Jimmy nodded emphatically. "We'll have them locked in tighter than—" Glancing at a glaring AC, Jimmy paused. "Than a couple of really tightly packed things."

"While you're at it, could you possible install a couple of surveillance cameras?" Oliver asked Victor.

"Sure, why?"

"Well, we'll want to check on their progress and we wouldn't want them to hurt each other, would we?" Oliver's smile implied that there was a little more to it than that. After all, why write the script if you didn't get to see the play?

--

Clark glanced surreptitiously across at Lois. The light fell perfectly on her hair and it shone like honey wheat on a bright summer's day. God, she was beautiful!

He had been thinking for the past week and had come to the conclusion that he had to tell Lois his secret soon. The question was when. It wasn't just something you could say casually over coffee.

He could just see it now: "Good morning, Lois! Isn't it a beautiful day? By the way, I'm an alien from Krypton with super-human abilities. Oh, and you know the Red-Blue Blur? Well, that's me." Yeah, that wasn't the way to go. There had to be a better solution.

He cast another look at Lois. He could have sworn he'd felt her eyes on him a moment ago, but surely he was just imagining things.

Just then, her cell phone rang. He watched as she reached into her bag and pulled it out. After a moment's pause while she read the text-message, she sprang up, grabbed her coat and said over her shoulder, "Coming Smallville?"

--

Lois looked over at Clark. He was brooding again. If it didn't irritate her so much, she would almost have to admit he looked sexy. The way his clear eyes looked off into the distance, like he could see into the stars. Sometimes when those eyes turned to her, she could swear they could see right into her soul. Boy was that a cliché, but still, it was true.

Seeing his head begin to turn her way, she quickly cast her eyes downward. No need for him to think she was imagining anything…inappropriate. Heaven forbid he knew she thought he looked kind of sexy when he brooded! As if his head wasn't big enough! Not everyone was in love with Clark Kent, contrary to what herself, Chloe, Lana, Maxima, and half the staff of the Daily Planet (males included) would suggest.

She really should stop thinking about this. She could already feel the start of an indignant blush.

Thankfully she was saved from this hazardous train of thought by the ringing of her cell phone that indicated she had a text message.

"Come to freezer. Story lead. Bring CK. –Jimmy".

Snapping her phone closed, she got up.

"Coming, Smallville?" she called to Clark as she walked purposely in the direction of the elevator.

"Where?" Clark asked.

"To the freezer," Lois answered, intently focused on pushing the elevator call button multiple times.

"You know, the elevator comes faster the more times you push it," Clark said with an impish grin. Lois deigned to give him a sarcastic grimace in response. "Why the freezer?" Clark asked, unperturbed by Lois' lack of verbal response.

"Because that's where Jimmy said to go." Lois was still focused on the immobile elevator doors.

"Do you always do what Jimmy asks you to do?" It was dangerous to bait Lois like this, Clark knew, but they hadn't had a good verbal joust in over a week and he didn't want his skills getting rusty. Not that she was being very responsive, but still.

"Do you ever shut your mouth, flannel king?" Lois responded without looking at him.

As the elevator doors opened and they walked in, Clark said, "As often as you do, pony-tail princess."

"Better a princess than a court jester." This time Lois returned Clark's evil smirk. She was getting into the swing of things.

"But the princess is always at the mercy of the king."

"But the court jester falls on his butt for a living."

"I thought I was the king." Clark had her. He gave a wide grin.

"You are. What would all the court jesters do without the master of their order to guide them?" Clark's grin faded.

Unable to think of a suitable reply, Clark merely said nothing.

The chime of the elevator doors brought him needed relief from Lois's smirk of victory. As they both made to exit the elevator, Lois said, "How's your butt?"

Not willing to be outdone again, Clark changed tactics. "Well rounded and firm, or so I've been told." The signature grin was back on his face.

"So that's what they talk about in the men's locker rooms," Lois said after a brief pause. No way was she going to admit she agreed.

"Only when they see my handsome butt."

"They'd have to. The other end's not worthy of the complement."

"So you agree it is gorgeous?" Clark asked, genuinely interested.

"No, just in comparison."

"In comparison to what, the seven dwarfs'?" Clark responded indignantly.

"Other parts of your anatomy. There's a reason I call you Smallville, Smallville." Her suggestive smile was larger than the Cheshire cat's and definitely wickeder.

Clark was saved the responsibility of a rejoinder by the appearance of the huge freezer doors. He didn't pause before leading the way inside.

Barely a second after Lois cleared the doorway, the sound of the heavy door snapping shut reverberated around the small freezer.

"Oh shit," Lois said softly.

--

"Did you bring the popcorn?" Chloe asked Jimmy.

"Check!" Jimmy cried, holding up the steaming bag.

"Well, hurry up then!" She gestured emphatically at an empty space between her and Oliver right in front of Jimmy's computer. If he didn't hurry, Dinah, or god forbid AC or Victor, would take it and she couldn't have that. "They just walked into the freezer."

"Shut the door, Victor," Oliver commanded. With a click of a button on his arm, Victor complied. They all laughed at Lois' cry of dismay and settled back to enjoy the show.

--

"What did you do?" Clark asked Lois warily.

"Nothing! It just shut on it's own!" Lois said. If she weren't the kind of girl she was, she would be panicking right now. Who wants to be trapped in a literally freezing room with the guy they're too proud to admit they're in love with? Certainly not she. She was happy just skirting the issue a little longer, say until Hell froze over? Who was she kidding, by the looks of her surroundings, it had. "Umm…" She said, unsure of what else to say.

"Do my ears deceive me or is Lady Chat-a-lot at a loss for words?" Clark said teasingly.

"Shut your pie hole, Mister. I could take you on any day." It was unoriginal and probably untrue considering what had happened the last time they'd faced off in a boxing ring, but it was the best she could do in their current situation. "Start looking for an exit."

"This isn't a mine shaft, there is no back tunnel out of here. It's not like they expect idiots to get stuck down here during their lunch break," Clark said condescendingly.

"Real helpful, Smallville. Maybe we can break down the door."

Clark considered for a moment. He could definitely do it, but how could he do it in a way that she wouldn't get suspicious? Of course now would be a perfect time to tell her anyway… Nah. Not yet. He'd just have to fake it. "Fine, stand back."

He walked over to the door and put his hands on either side of it. He leaned in and screwed up his face, pushing hard. When it didn't budge, he pushed harder. It still wouldn't move. He no longer had to act like he was making an effort. That damn door was strong! Finally he gave up. Either that door was laced with kryptonite or made of solid lead, either way there was little or no chance he'd be able to open it without using his heat vision and no way was he showing her that.

Unless he came clean.

He knew if Oliver or Chloe were here they'd tell him to go for it, hell, they already had! Besides, he couldn't have asked for a better place. There was no chance of anyone walking in on them and there was nothing to distract her from his story.

"Umm, Lois? There's something I need to tell you." His breath hitched for a moment when she turned to him, but he knew what he was doing was for the best.

Before he continued, he decided to check for security cameras. The freezer may only be used to hold unexposed film, but photographers can get pretty protective of their stuff and may have demanded extra protection.

Clark scanned the room with his x-ray vision, carefully avoiding Lois. There were just some things you didn't do. That and he didn't want to have to lie if she asked him if he'd ever used it on her as telling the truth could lead to some serious altercations.

He found three cameras hidden around the freezer in various locations. With his heat rays, he blew them out on by one. He didn't bother hiding it from Lois, she would learn soon enough.

"Holy flying mushrooms on a frozen pedestal, what on God's green earth was that!" Lois cried in shock.

"God's green earth has less of a role than you would think." Lois just looked at him blankly. "Lois, I'm not what you think I am."

--

The small cluster of people grouped around Jimmy's computer laughed uproariously at Clark's attempts to open the freezer.

"High five, cyber bro!" AC said to Victor, for once not insulting the half android. They had reached a written agreement not to make any more fish/computer cracks until after their current mission for the sake of Oliver's sanity.

"Yeah, what'd you do to it anyway?" Dinah asked Victor.

"It's all lead with a just a dash of kryptonite. He can still break it if he wants, but he's going to need a lot more strength than that," Victor responded, grinning widely.

"Shh! He just said something to Lois! I think he's about to tell her!" Chloe cried, flapping her arms wildly towards the chatting duo, narrowly missing Jimmy's nose.

They all waited with baited breath as Clark paused. Then he looked directly at the cameras. His eyes glowed red for a moment, then the screen went black.

"No! Get it back! Get it back!" Chloe cried, whacking Victor on the head repeatedly.

Victor dove under the desk, pulling up various chords. "There doesn't look to be anything I can do. He bloody destroyed my cameras!"

"Now what do we do?" Dinah asked.

"Now, we wait," Oliver said emotionlessly. He really had been looking forward to a few good laughs today.

--

"So you're telling me you're a little green man?" Lois asked, taking the news surprisingly well. It was almost as if she had been warned of the possibility beforehand.

"Why does everyone say that? Do I look like a little green man?" Clark asked with not entirely faked frustration.

"Well maybe not green." Lois' eyes flashed downwards as her signature wicked grin made an appearance.

"One more crude and entirely untrue comment about my…endowments and you'll regret it." Clark wasn't smiling. There are only so many insults a man can take. He was only human. Kind of.

Lois just grinned in response. "Want to get us out of here, space guy or should I call the fire department?"

Clark looked at her incredulously. "You had a cell phone the entire time?"

Lois shrugged. "I forgot. Now would you please just break down the door already?"

"Fine," he grumbled. As irritating as it was to know she could have gotten them out before, he didn't regret staying. It felt good to have finally opened up to her. He hadn't realized how much he had wanted to tell her his secret before now.

Focusing his heat vision, he melted the door hinges. With a hard kick to the center of the door, it fell open. He looked over at Lois, waiting for her approval. "Not bad, Smallville" was all she said before walking out. He hastily fixed the door before following sedately behind.

Half of him was glad she was taking it so well. The other, more arrogant side almost wished she would be just a bit more impressed. What did a guy have to do to get a girl's attention?

**

* * *

Coming up next: Oliver's new plan backfires when Jimmy runs for cover as Hurricane Lane makes an impromptu appearance. Read the details in part four of "The Power of Suggestion": "Blow-out". **

**A/N: I would like to say I am amazed at the response I've gotten from this story. I've only ever written one-shots before (unless you count my "Bipartisanship" disaster) so this is all new to me. But I do have just one request. As much as I enjoy people favoriting my stories, I also really like reviews. Nothing irritates me more than people favoriting my stories without a review. I know you liked it, but why? Please tell me. I won't hunt you down or anything, (maybe) but I would appreciate it. Thanks. **


	4. Blowout

**The Power of Suggestion**

_Part 4: Blow-out_

Jimmy's office was almost dead silent, save the humming from all the gadgets around the walls. Chloe was the first to break the silence. "What do you think they're doing in there?"

"Probably making out," AC said expressionlessly. They had long ago gotten over the excitement of getting Clark to finally admit his secret to Lois.

"That's not really Clark's style, though. He's more of the slow seducer. They probably haven't even admitted they love each other yet," Dinah said.

"If this isn't slow, I don't know what is and I have record high IQ," Victor said modestly.

"And a record sized ego to match," AC mumbled, but keeping his promise, said no more.

"I agree with Dinah. That is why I have concocted another brilliant plan." Oliver rubbed his hands together. "Jimmy, go upstairs and see if they're there. If so, make up some excuse about not being able to open the door or something. Tell them to be at my loft at seven tonight. The rest of you be there too; I'll need backup."

--

Jimmy paused at the doorway to the bullpen, observing the two reporters sitting across from each other.

They weren't kissing or making lovey-dovey eyes at each other, so he assumed that Dinah was correct. In fact, they didn't appear to be doing anything out of the ordinary. Unless they were playing footsie under the desk and just being very good at hiding it. The only thing that suggested that they had even talked was every few seconds, Clark would cast a wary, almost hopeful expression at his still slightly blue-tinged comrade.

There was no doubt about it: they needed professional help.

"There you are!" Jimmy cried, striding into the room. "I've been looking all over for you. I went down to the freezer and you weren't there, so I thought maybe you had gotten a new story or something and this is really important!"

"For your information, we were _in_ the freezer." Lois didn't even bother to look up as she responded. Obviously she was not in a forgiving mood.

Jimmy put on a fake puzzled look. "How did you get out? Doesn't that door weigh like a ton?"

At this, Lois did look up, her eyes flashing towards Clark as if asking something. He nodded his head almost imperceptibly. She narrowed her eyes as if to say, "we'll talk about this later." She then turned back to look at Jimmy. "Clark broke us out."

Jimmy looked from Lois to Clark. "So you told her?" His tone was somewhere between glee and surprise. He was getting used to pretending now. They should give him an Emmy. He looked back at Lois and directed his words to her. "It's about time. We've been telling him for years now to just bite the bullet and tell you. Did he tell you everything?"

"I'm pretty sure he flattened the bullet." Her glare at Clark this time clearly added, "if you haven't you'll regret it."

Deciding it was time to change the subject, Clark said, "What was the story lead you had for us, Jimmy?"

Jimmy hesitated for a moment. He hadn't actually expected them to call his bluff like that. "There's a meeting at city hall that promises to be a real duezzy."

"What are they discussing?" Lois asked. Did she sound a little suspicious or was he just being paranoid? She smelled a rat; Jimmy just knew it.

"Car tags," he responded. He hoped she couldn't see the sweat on his forehead. These intense lying sessions would be the death of him, he was sure.

"Car tags! You got us locked in a freezer for _car tags_?" Lois was obviously not in the mood for games. Her swinging arms caught Clark in the jugular so hard that had he not been indestructible, he would be doubled over on the ground gasping for breath. As it was, he just looked at her mildly irritated and nodded his head at Jimmy in a silent communication that it might be better for both of them if he just left quietly. Lois' eyes were narrowing and she didn't even seem to register that her hand had just collided with the equivalent of a steel wall.

Jimmy had no intention of arguing, but Oliver's command for them to be present at his party made leaving without another word virtually impossible. It was best for him if he just said it quickly and got out of there.

"Oliver says to come over for dinner tonight at seven," he said in a rush, making a break for the door. As he walked out, he felt a moment's guilt at leaving Clark behind, but he knew he could take care of himself and it wasn't like he wasn't used to it. Clark and Chloe were the only ones who could ever calm Lois down when she got into a rage.

--

"That skinny midget got us locked in a freezer over a stupid story like car tags!" Lois spat. "We could have died in there and no one would ever have found us! We'd just sit there like a pack of frozen peas until they came to bulldoze the building for parking space!"

She had been going on like that for nearly ten minutes. Everyone else in the bullpen had left only seconds after Jimmy. Braver men then they had been struck down with the force of Lois's rage. Luckily Clark wasn't a man. Well not technically. Either way he was still standing his ground.

"That never would have happened. They'd have found us before parking became an issue," Clark said consolingly.

Lois just looked at him blankly. "Your ability to make stupid jokes never ceases to amaze me."

"I wasn't joking. There is plenty of underground parking." Clark's face was perfectly serious. As was Lois'. "Come on, you know I never would have let that happen." He broke into a roguish grin.

Lois's face remained impassive, devoid of any emotion but anger no longer entirely directed at her cousin's boyfriend. "Just so long as you didn't reveal your secret though, right?" Her voice had an almost nasty tone.

Clark looked affronted, the grin slipping slightly. "I told you my secret."

"Yeah, eventually. How long did it take? Four, five years? How long was it before you told Jimmy? A day?" Her eyes were practically spitting fire now. All the resentment that had gradually been building—despite her attempts to repress it—since she had first heard that Clark had a secret bubbling to the surface.

"No!" Clark too was getting angry. "I never told Jimmy anything, he just figured it out!"

"Oh yeah? How!" Her face was turning purple.

"The same way you could have if you had just paid more attention!"

"What do you mean by that, you great oaf!"

"I mean if you had been more open to the fact that maybe not everything is so black and white and stopped seeing me as a stupid farmhand, you might have picked up on the fact that I'm a freaking alien!"

"Do you mean that I was supposed to know that you weren't human?" Lois sounded affronted.

"No, not exactly," Clark amended. "But didn't you ever find it suspicious that my entire wardrobe is red and blue or were you too focused on the fact that it also happens to be plaid flannel? How about that I always seem to be there whenever you're in trouble? Oh, no, of course not because you're too wrapped up in your precious Red-Blue Blur, which, by the way, is me! Not that you'd know that because I'm just a farm boy from Kansas, right? Not even worthy of wiping your stiletto boots, right?" He paused for a moment, panting.

Lois just looked at him with a shocked expression on her face. She didn't know how to react. She had, of course, noticed his habit of saving people and his affinity for red and blue. Why had she never put two and two together? How could she have been so stupid? Of course Clark was the Red-Blue Blur! Who else would be? She wanted to tell him this, tell him she was sorry, but she didn't know how.

"You know what, I don't need this." Clark's eyes were stony. Formally they had reminded her of the sky, but now they were the frigid ocean ice. Without another word, he turned and left.

Lois just watched his retreating back.

**

* * *

**

**Coming up next: Chloe and Oliver do some emergency damage control. Look for it in part five of "The Power of Suggestion": "Conversations".**

**A/N: I'd just like to say happy holidays and thank you all for your reviews/favorites/alerts. Talk about making spirits bright! I would also like to warn you that I might be a little late posting next week. Family and all that. Don't worry, I won't leave you hanging for too long. **


	5. Conversations

**Warning: Spoilers for the season 4 opener. If you haven't seen that episode, what are you waiting for? **

**

* * *

The Power of Suggestion**

_Part 5: Conversations_

"Umm, Oliver? I think we have a problem," Chloe whispered in Oliver's ear. "Does something look a little off to you?" She motioned to Lois and Clark.

Clark had been moody all evening and had recently slunk off to a dark corner for some serious brooding. On the other hand, Lois' face was downcast and when she caught sight of Clark in the corner, she scuttled off in the opposite direction with a guilty expression.

"Indubitably," Oliver said, looking keenly between Clark and Lois. "Something must have happened after Jimmy left."

"What do we do?"

Oliver hesitated for a minute, thinking about the best plan of action. "Go to Lois. Try and talk some sense into her. I'll handle Clark. Let's see if we can't get them talking." He paused, looking back at the sullen duo. "Or at least looking if all else fails."

"Does arguing count as speaking?"

"In their case, I'd say yes."

--

"If looks could kill, that pastry would be a dead man," Oliver said as he bounded jovially up to his comrade who was currently keenly observing a half eaten cream puff. "Glad to see you're enjoying yourself."

"I'm not really in the mood to talk right now, Oliver." Clark's voice was warning.

"I can see that, but when has it ever stopped me before?"

"Is that rhetorical, because I seem to recall a certain Luthor experiment you were very—"

Oliver interrupted him abruptly. "Enough about me, I'm here to talk about you! I haven't seen you since our little brunch the other week. So what's been happening? Faced any hot heads in need of some punch time?" He paused. "Met any hot women?"

"Both," Clark mumbled.

"What was that?" Oliver asked, pretending he had no idea what Clark had meant.

"You know what I hate about women?" Clark cried suddenly. "I hate how they always just_ assumes_ things." There could only be one woman from whom Clark was drawing his opinion. "She takes one look at a situation and thinks she knows everything there is to know about it. She never once considers any possibility but the one she _knows_ to be true. And when you try to tell her she's wrong, that maybe things aren't exactly what she thought they were, she blows up. She accuses you of keeping secrets, of not telling her every bloody thing in your pathetic, farm boy life!"

The cream puff was reduced to powder and sickly white liquid as Clark's hand clenched around it. Oliver almost pitied the poor thing. What had it done to deserve such harsh punishment? But, Oliver supposed, better the cream puff than his--or anyone else's--head. Now, however, was not the time to hold a memorial service.

"Dude, you have got to calm down," Oliver said once Clark had stopped for breath. "Lois really did a number on you, didn't she?" Clark glared at him, but Oliver persevered. "Want to tell me about it?"

Clark shook his head no, but after a few seconds started talking in a low, deep voice. "I told her about Kal-El. She didn't take it very well. I mean she did at first, but when she found out Jimmy knew, she kind of exploded. Or I did, I'm not really sure."

"What did she say?" Oliver asked tentatively.

"Nothing really. She was just being Lois." He sounded weary and his eyes were staring pointedly at the floor.

"And how did you respond?"

Clark met Oliver's eyes. "I blew up at her. I told her she should have been able to guess. I said she should have put two and two together!" His face was twisted into a painful expression.

"What!" Oliver shouted. He lowered his voice a tiny bit and continued. "Do you mean to tell me you insulted her? Do you have no tact? How could you do that to the woman you are supposed to be in love with?" He knew he was treading on thin ice considering the person he was berating was a hundred and eighty pounds of super-strong alien muscle and would have no problem squishing him as easily as he had just recently done to the former cream puff, but Oliver was never one to back down from a fight (unless you included that one, really big Luthor monster which he had made everyone in the League swear to forget but was still brought up at parties). Clark had to be forced to face the light.

"I do love her, Oliver! I do! I don't know why I said those things!" He was almost pleading.

"Stop sniveling this instant and get over there and apologize, you green-blooded hobgoblin!"

"Why does everybody keep calling me green?" Clark mumbled as he slinked away in the direction of Lois.

Oliver rolled his eyes. Was he really the only Trekie in this group of sci-fi vigilantes? Maybe Dinah would understand him. His good deed quota filled for the time being, he went off to find her.

--

"What do you want?" Lois asked her cousin briskly as she approached.

"Jeez, way to say hello!"

Lois looked a little sheepish. Maybe that had been a bit harsh and certainly underserved. Chloe wasn't the one she was angry at. "It's been a long day," she said by way of apology.

Chloe nodded in understanding. It had been a long day indeed. "Wannah talk about it?"

Lois met her cousin's eyes for a second. Despite that she was not, on principle, a woman prone to opening up, she never could resist telling Chloe anything. "Clark told me his secret."

"It's about time."

"Everybody likes to rub that one in," Lois mumbled. "As if I didn't know it's taken him a while!"

Chloe decided to pretend she hadn't heard. "So, how are you feeling?"

"Dumb." Lois again met Chloe's eyes. "How could I not have known? I never even suspected! His mother told me had many sides the very first day I met him and I still didn't guess!"

"If it makes you feel any better, I didn't figure it out until junior year and even then I needed help," Chloe said, lightly patting Lois on the back.

"Yeah, but I'm around him like twenty-four, seven."

"And I wasn't back in high school? God, I was virtually his shadow! You've got to stop beating yourself up about this."

"Do you know how we met?" Lois said abruptly. Her eyes unfocused and a soft smile flittered across her lips in a look that clearly indicated that she was going into full reminiscent mode.

Chloe thought for a moment. She knew that they had paired up to solve her apparent murder the summer before senior year, but beyond that, she'd never heard any details. She shook her head.

"I got your message for Clark and was driving down to meet him when a freak thunder storm came up. I ran off the road and ended up in some cornfield. The next thing I know, three lightning bolts hit right in front of me and there's a naked man curled up in front of my car. What kind of man ends up naked in a cornfield? Unless they're drunk or high or something, but we both know Clark just isn't that kind of guy."

Here, Chloe broke in with a shout of "Clark was naked!" loud enough to get some strange looks from the other guests, but they quickly turned away; everyone was used to far stranger comments than that from Impulse. With a self-conscience glance around the room and a hard glare from Lois, she nodded her head for her to continue.

"He couldn't remember his name or anything so I –somewhat reluctantly, I might add—gave him a blanket and a trip to the hospital. He tried to escape. Literally lifted me up out of his way once. I should have guessed then something was up," she added bitterly, but continued on before Chloe could say anything. "It wasn't until Martha recognized him and took him away that I realized he was the one I was looking for. A day later he got his memory back and we kicked some serious helicopter ass! I'd always wondered how he did that. I guess I know now." She laughed ruefully to herself. Suddenly she smiled. "Then I walked in on him in the shower and made sure his mother found out. That was a fun conversation, believe me! I also stole his room for all those months I stayed with the Kents. Revenge is so sweet!" she finished with an appreciative laugh.

Chloe laughed heartily along with her cousin. "I can't believe you did that to him. It's so mean!"

"What, walking in on him in the shower or taking his room?" Lois asked innocently.

"Both! Why did you do it?"

"He was taking too long and it wasn't like I hadn't already seen Clark Jr. in the cornfield. As for taking his room, I did it because his mother wouldn't hear of me sleeping on the couch and Clark irritated me."

"How did he irritate you?"

"I couldn't figure him out. One minute he was as strong and as confident as a peacock-lion hybrid, the next he was a meek farm boy."

"Now that's just ironic," Chloe said with a chuckle.

"Tell me about it," Lois responded. She downed the rest of her beer in one hearty gulp and continued. "Of course he's just as puzzling now as he was then, though I bet he's going to be more so now that I know why. It's kind of hard to place a man in a stereotype that isn't a man, you know?"

"I do know." Chloe nodded her head. "So what irritates you now?"

"Where should I start? His flannel obsession? His constant brooding? How about the fact that everybody—and I mean everybody—at the Daily Planet's in love with him?"

"I'm sure that's not true."

"Oh? And how do you know?" Lois challenged.

"Well I'm pretty sure Jimmy isn't and you certainly aren't." Chloe eyed her cousin closely for signs of a reaction. She was pleased to see that Lois' cheeks were turning a faint pinkish color.

"You're probably right about Jimmy, although I can't be too sure."

Chloe decided to ignore the jibe at her boyfriend and went in for the kill. "But how do _you_ feel about him?"

"Who, Jimmy? He's a nice guy, but not really my type," Lois responded casually.

"Are tall alien enigmas?"

Lois' blush went deeper. She could deny it, but Chloe always had an uncanny ability of knowing when she was lying. "Yes," she mumbled finally.

"What was that?" Chloe asked, cupping her hand around her ear in an exaggerated gesture. "I couldn't quite hear what you said."

"I said 'maybe'. Are you happy now?" Lois said hotly.

"Oh no you didn't! I distinctly heard a yes."

"That was Dinah agreeing to dance with Oliver."

"That's BS and you know it. Dinah would never in a million years agree to dance with Oliver."

"Fine! I give up! Yes, I am in love with Clark Kent! Happy?" Lois cried, casting her arms in the air.

Chloe smiled broadly. "Elated. Now I want to know, have you told him yet?"

"I haven't gotten the chance," she responded defensively.

Chloe glanced at someone over her cousin's shoulder. "Well here it comes so get ready."

"What?" Lois spun around quickly. Clark was walking towards them.

"I think I'll be going." Chloe started to walk off, but Lois grabbed her hand.

"Don't even think about it," she said in a warning tone.

Chloe twisted her arm out of her grasp. "Sorry, cuz, you're on your own. This is one lover's tryst I will not get involved with." She gave Lois an ironic little wave and walked off.

Lois turned to face Clark who was now standing right in front of her. "How you doing?" she asked with fake cheer.

**

* * *

Coming up next: Bart makes his presence known and Clark and Lois finally talk. Read all about it in the next installment of "The Power of Suggestion": "Confessions".**

**A/N: Sorry for the cliffy people, but I just couldn't resist. But hey, at least I posted on time. I hope you all had a pleasant holiday. **


	6. Confessions

**A/N: Thank devoted2clois for the early update. She just couldn't live with the cliffhanger.**

**

* * *

The Power of Suggestion **

_Part 6: Confessions_

"Umm, Lois," Clark said hesitantly. "We need to talk."

"Definitely!" Lois bobbed her head up and down enthusiastically. "I just want to say I'm—"

Clark broke her off. "Not here." He glanced quickly around the room, his eyes resting momentarily on the merry archer who was apparently engrossed in a conversation with Dinah. "There are too many people. Let's take a walk."

"At ten in the evening in a big city?" Lois asked, surprised. Usually Clark was adamant about her not going out late at night. He was old-fashioned that way.

"Scared?" His usual teasing smile made a momentary appearance.

"Not on your life, Smallville," Lois said with a toss of her hair. "Lead the way!"

--

"Hola me amigas!" Bart said, buzzing up to the chatting couple.

"Bart." Oliver's expression was resigned. He was this close to asking Dinah out for drinks, and of course Impulse would interrupt. Typical. He seemed to have a sixth sense about these things. "Something you needed?"

Bart ignored the question in favor of checking out a passing waitress. "Muy caliente!"

"Bart! Focus!" Dinah ordered, her eyes rolling.

"Oh, right. Yeah. Did you see Clark and Lois? Some serious fireworks going off there. 'Bout time too, right? I've been telling him for ages. Seems like one more leaguer is gonnah get some Lane tonight."

"Oh that's just wrong!" AC said, only catching the last part.

Bart shrugged. "It's true. Everyone but me has dated the voluptuous Lois Lane sometime," he explained, chewing on a hot dog he'd apparently grabbed during the short interlude between AC's words and his own.

Everyone shrugged as Victor walked up. "I haven't!" Victor defended, either resignedly or reproachfully; it was kind of hard to tell with him.

"Yeah. I haven't either," Dinah added almost at once.

"But we'd all be happy if you did," Bart cut in, winking suggestively.

They all decided to just move on and ignore the disgusting youth now snacking on what seemed to be half the buffet.

Seeing that he'd lost his audience, Bart looked around for alternate means of entertainment, and having eating everything but the halibut (which he wouldn't touch even if AC weren't glaring at anyone who tried), decided to follow the conspicuously absent Clark and Lois. Maybe, if he had time, he'd pick up a few snacks on the way. He was ravenous.

--

Clark looked over at Lois, who was pointedly looking anywhere but at him. He stopped abruptly, pulling her around to face him.

"Lois, I—I just wanted to say – "

"Heelllo, Clarky-boy! Muchacha!" Bart interrupted. "Lovely night tonight, right? Perfect for a little romancing, isn't it? Just look at that moon!" He began singing loudly the theme song from _Lady and the Tramp. _"Looookkk at the Sky! It has starrs innn ittsss eyees! And theey calll itt beelaa notra!"

"Are you drunk?" Lois interrupted Bart's serenade, much to his chagrin and Clark's obvious relief.

"Possibly. Did you try that street-vender's stuff? Whew!" he replied, doing a dainty flop into Clark's solid chest. "God, you are hard!" he added, looking up into the man's eyes. Turning back to Lois, he said, "I think he likes you."

Clark blushed deeply and shifted Bart off him, while Lois barely restrained a smile.

"Ahem," Clark coughed abruptly, "Ah, Bart, would you mind annoying Oliver?"

Bart looked at his fingernails. "Been there, done that. Ignored me, the sour green grape."

"Wonder why," Lois whispered sarcastically, making Clark snort quietly. Luckily Bart was preoccupied with a passing stray cat.

"Heerreee kitty. Heeree kitty-kitty!" Bart said, meandering after it and completely forgetting about the people that had briefly held his attention behind him.

"Do you think we should go after him?" Clark asked, looking concernedly at the retreating form of his friend, now intent on catching a spider crawling up the wall.

Lois shook her head. "You were saying?"

"Huh?" Clark replied, turning quickly back to face her. "Oh, yeah. I love you."

"Whoa! Clark!" Lois jumped back. She had, of course, known, but to hear it come from the alien's mouth directly was frankly, well, alien. "You just don't drop something like that on a woman!"

Clark blinked. He'd expected something more along the lines of 'I love you too' or at least an apology for her actions earlier. He thought for a second. Maybe, just maybe, he'd started off on the wrong foot. He back-peddled. "I'm sorry."

"For what? Telling me you love me or being a jerk? Because you're not being very clear!" Lois's voice was quickly gaining altitude.

"I wasn't being clear! How much clearer can you get than 'I love you'?"

"Well, I don't know. Maybe, 'I'm sorry I didn't tell you I'm a freaking alien, but I love you!'?" Lois shouted, stepping forward, her finger accenting her words as it pushed against his chest with every syllable.

"Fine! I'm sorry I didn't tell you I'm an alien, but I love you! There! Is that what you wanted?" Clark matched her volume and moved a step closer. They were now mere inches apart.

Lois lost her train of thought. It was going to be one of those Spencer Tracy/Katherine Hepburn moments, she just knew it. And then suddenly an unexpected gust of wind sent her sprawling and Clark blinking stupidly.

"Sorry guys, just blowing through." Bart had returned, munching on a pickle he'd just acquired from another vender across the street. "You guys know you were making a lot of noise? I could swear I heard you in Mexico. Seriously, man, just kiss her."

Clark turned slowly to face the speeding menace. "You couldn't have gone around?" he implored.

Bart shrugged. "You were the closest route and I just felt like a pickle after the burrito."

"Ah, Smallville, you want to help here?" Lois called from her rather undignified position between the trash bags in the ally. How she had end up there would be one of those unsolved mysteries like the Kent's missing barn door all those years ago. Although come to think of it, that probably wasn't going to be a mystery much longer. At least, not if she had anything to say about it.

"Lois!" Clark suddenly realized that his date was currently spending quality time with Oliver's rubbish. He lifted her out of the garbage with more force and speed than the situation really demanded.

"Wow, Smallville just doesn't seem to cover it anymore, does it?"

Clark flashed her one of his patented cheeky grins. "Let's get out of here," he suggested, glancing at the space that Bart had previously occupied no less than a second ago. Oh well, he'd catch him tomorrow.

"Did I respond to your statement yet?" Lois asked as Clark put her down on his front porch. When he'd said fast, he wasn't exaggerating. Clark opened his mouth to respond, but Lois cut him off with her lips.

**

* * *

Coming up next: Clark and Lois have a special night. Get your mind out of the gutter. Stay tuned for the final installment of "The Power of Suggestion": "Epilogue". **

**A/N: I'd just like to say that without my sister, this chapter never would have been finished. As it is, it took five months. It took dictating to her and her rewording everything I said for it finally to get done. So thanks ComicNerd. I knew having a sister would come in handy one day, even if you did change all my dialogue.**


	7. Epilogue

**A/N: Sorry for the delay. My holiday is nearly over and I had work to do. Bummer. The good news is, this is the last installment. **

**

* * *

The Power of Suggestion**

_Part 7: Epilogue, a few weeks later_

"So, what are you in the mood for tonight?" Clark asked Lois as they stood hunched over the movie cabinet. "We have action, comedy, romance, drama, horror, you name it."

"I don't know. How about we just choose one at random?" Lois suggested.

"Okay. Shut your eyes." He counted to three and then they both reached in. Their hands met on a DVD. They opened their eyes.

"I guess this one it is," Lois said, smiling warmly at Clark. "What is it?" They looked down. They were holding a glossy cover with a dancing couple on it. _Much Ado About Nothing_.

"Oh dear, it's a romance." Lois sighed. She was actually rather in the mood for an action. Big surprise.

"What? It's kind of funny. Come on, let's watch it," Clark cajoled. Not that he'd ever admit it out loud, but he had always preferred romance to action anyway.

"Remind me, who's the girl here?" Lois teased.

"There's a girl here?" Clark asked, feigning surprise. "Oh no!"

Lois laughed and punched him lightly in the shoulder.

"Ouch!" he cried, rubbing it.

"Give it up Bell, I know you're indestructible. Practically an armored tank."

"You've stripped me of my armor. I am defenseless around you," Clark cried dramatically. He straightened up. "And you know, if I'm Bell, that makes you the Beast."

"Ha ha, very funny," Lois said with a sarcastic smile. "Turn on the film, why don't you?" She flipped her hair. "If anyone here is a beast, it's you."

"Very well, if you insist, my princess," Clark said with a bow.

"Call me princess one more time." If Clark picked up on the threatening tone, he ignored it.

"As you wish, my princess." His smile was taunting.

Launching herself off the couch, she jumped at him. He caught her easily in his arms and, before she could protest, kissed her passionately on the mouth. After a long moment, they broke apart. They gazed into each other's eyes.

"When did you fall in love with me?" she asked softly.

Clark paused to consider for a moment. "It was so gradual, I didn't really notice until one day when I overheard the guys talking about it." Clark laughed. "They said you loved me and I was an idiot for not admitting I love you back, although I think the bigger issue was that I hadn't told you about Krypton. It shocked me into realizing they were right. About me loving you, not so much about being an idiot." He nuzzled her neck.

Lois swated playfully at Clark's advances. "I wouldn't want to disagree with any super-strong heros now would I?" Lois abruptly stopped in her swatting and met Clark's eyes again. "When was this?" Lois asked, her brow furrowed.

"About a week before we got stuck in the freezer. Why?"

"That would be the same week I heard Chloe and Dinah. They said you loved me. I decided I didn't care if you had a million secrets, because I loved you." Clark smiled warmly at her words and moved into to kiss her. She stopped him. "I also decided my leniency would only last for so long. You were pushing it, Buddy."

Clark's smile faded some. "Did you arrange the freezer thing just so I would open up?"

"No, but that was a pretty good plan. Masterful even." A glimmer of realization appeared in her eyes. Clark knew that look.

Clark smiled again. "So I guess we owe our happiness to our friends."

"You could say that, although we probably would have figured out we were meant for each other eventually," Lois said shrugging.

"It might have been a while. You're so stubborn," Clark teased.

"You're one to talk, Smallville. How long have we known each other?" Lois slapped him lightly on the shoulder. He caught her hand and pulled her close.

Lois gazed up at him. "I know the perfect revenge." She smiled mischievously.

"Oh?" His smile matched hers.

"I know a certain leader with a certain crush on a certain member of a certain league." Her eyes twinkled.

"Are you certain?"

"Certainly." They chuckled.

After they had quieted down a bit, Clark asked, "So what's the plan?"

"Get Oliver to ask Dinah out," Lois said matter-of-factly.

"I like it. Simple, easy to remember. Kiss me?"

"The princess is always at the mercy of the king," she said, smiling as she went up on her tiptoes to kiss him.

Clark sat down heavily on the couch, pulling Lois on to his lap. As he did so he said, "Even if he makes his living falling on his butt?"

"And what a gorgeous butt it is too! So well rounded and firm!" She gave it a hardy squeeze.

They were laughing so hard that they failed to see Chloe and Jimmy enter the farmhouse several minutes later to join them for movie night.

Seeing them sprawled together on the couch, Chloe turned to Jimmy and whispered, "Mission accomplished."

**

* * *

Beta Note: By now you have finished "The Power of Suggestion." Congratulations. You can thank me for that. Took me nagging Scribbles here for nearly six months to get this done. I ended up writing a good portion of chapter six anyway. And let me guess, you haven't got a clue who I am. Hi, I'm ComicNerd, the editor/co-writer and brains behind the whole story. Any mistakes you find/found are ModernScribe's. She never does listen to a word I say. **

**Author's Defense: I do listen to her. When she's right. Is it my fault that's not very often? As for co-writing, well that's a load of carp as AC would say. This story is all mine. She was more like the backseat writer or the annoying AM radio playing in the background. Thanks for reading. **


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